


At First Touch

by cimberelly



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, M/M, Witches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-10
Updated: 2016-04-10
Packaged: 2018-06-01 08:10:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6510004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cimberelly/pseuds/cimberelly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"...That must be gross."</p><p>Ryouta blinked.</p><p>It was as if the guy was also surprised that Ryouta had acknowledged what he said. A couple of expressions passed through the his face as if he was trying to figure out what to do and say. And eventually, he settled on resignation, eyes closing for a moment as if bracing himself for something.</p><p>"...You're sitting on a ghost."</p><p>Whatever Ryouta thought it was that the guy was going to say, this was not it.</p><p>"...A ghost?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	At First Touch

**Author's Note:**

> So while I procrastinate on [Fallen](pseudorganized.tumblr.com/tagged/Fallen), have some of this. Not sure if this will be continued as I really suck at writing multi-part stuff unless I write it with someone else (see: WMHR) but Cassie and I have talked about this AU a lot so it's not a far off thing that I'll revisit it and write more. But for now, have our babies meeting once again under different circumstances. I'll never really tire of writing about them meeting and becoming aware of each other in a special way. :3

In the middle of a quiet, almost empty train car, an obnoxiously loud English song started playing. The song was not silenced fast enough, evidenced by heads raising to find the owner of the source. And when it finally, mercifully, did stop, it was because a call was answered.

"...Hello?"

A tall blond held the phone to his ear as he tried to smile apologetically to the few, weary people eying him. He seemed perfectly aware that he was being rude but it didn't look like he was going to quit the call within the next few minutes. Instead, he turned away and tried to keep his voice down.

"Neechan?"

" _Ryouta. Can you hear me?_ "

The blond, Ryouta, sighed as he listened to his sister's voice.

"Loud and clear," he almost grumbled. "It's like you're right here sitting beside me."

" _Well good_ ," his sister replied lightly as if she cared little for the inconvenience the call cost him. " _It's your fault for escaping. If you had been here, I wouldn't be calling you._ "

Ryouta was listening but his gaze was to the lit up landscape on the other side of the window. It was late and he should have been back hours ago but he hadn't wanted to come home. Tonight was the night of the full moon right smack in the middle of hanami season and it could get weird. Well, weirder.

" _Ryouta_ ." His sister called his attention and he found himself facing forward as if she was right there in front of him, looking at him with faint disapproval but also some sympathy. " _You were missed, you know?_ "

Despite himself, Ryouta sighed. "I know..." It wasn't as if he actually enjoyed disappointing everyone when he didn't fulfill his so-called duties. He had duties and responsibilities to his family and he loved them so much, but things had gotten harder and harder the older he got and the more he realized that he walked a different path.

" _...Do you have anything to say for yourself?_ "

A sad smile quirked one side of his lips, eyes unfocused as he listened to his sister's clear voice and the gentle sound of wind chimes that hung by her bedroom window.

"Not really. Is Rika-neechan really mad?"

" _Well_ ." Ryouta heard her sigh as she seemed to pause for a moment. " _She's not there with you so I'm guessing she's not as mad as she could be_."

At the answer, Ryouta couldn't help but shiver.

"I'll be home soon."

" _You better. Or I'm eating your share of the dango the Murasakibaras brought over_."

"Oi!" Ryouta found himself raising his voice in protest, drawing stares again, and he tried to make himself smaller against his seat in apology. "No fair!"

" _That's what you get for not being here~_ " Her voice carried over in a playful singsong and Ryouta started relaxing. At least one of his sisters was kind of normal.

“I’ll be home in a bit.”

“ _Good_.”

“Don’t touch my share. And Hikaru-neechan?”

" _Yes, Ryouta?_ ”

“Use your phone next time?”

In answer to that, Hikaru laughed, clear as a bell, and really, it was just like she was right there with him, sitting with him on the train. Or as if he was sitting with her in her room, the window open as the wind played gently with her wind chimes. He could almost see her mischievous little grin that looked so much like the one found on his face a lot of the time.

“ _‘Don’t really want to_ ,” she told him, playful and maybe a touch evil, and then there was nothing. Not even a goodbye. Her voice was simply gone and so was she.

So much for being kind of normal.

He was about to put his phone away when he felt himself stilling. It was as if something was rooting him on the spot and instinctively, he looked up to see for the source.

It was the guy sitting a few seats away and across him. He was tall, maybe around his height, with dark hair that almost fell over his eyes and looked due for a trim. His skin was dark, like he spent a lot of time under the sun, and his shoulders looked strong and capable. But it was his eyes that really caught Ryouta's attention. They were dark and intently focused on him and under their gaze it felt like he could hardly move or breathe.

It took what felt like an eternity before the guy's gaze wavered to meet his own eyes and it was a bit easier.

"...That must be gross."

Ryouta blinked.

It took him another moment to realize that he was actually being spoken to and yet another to figure out what the guy just said.

"...What?"

Did he have something on his face? Something on his clothes? Did he sit on something he shouldn't have?

It was as if the guy was also surprised that Ryouta had acknowledged what he said. A couple of expressions passed through the his face as if he was trying to figure out what to do and say. And eventually, he settled on resignation, eyes closing for a moment as if bracing himself for something.

"...You're sitting on a ghost."

Whatever Ryouta thought it was that the guy was going to say, this was not it.

"...A ghost?"

Ghosts existed, of course, but Ryouta never really had the opportunity to actually see or interact with one. Not that he particularly wanted to, but when you belonged to a certain kind of family like he did, you tended to think that things like that could happen sometime. And there were people who were especially sensitive to ghosts, who could see and interact with them, but Ryouta had never been one of them. Apparently this guy across from him could be if this wasn't just some weird ploy to get his attention.

For now, Ryouta gave him the benefit of the doubt and asked, "So...what should I do?"

The guy looked like he couldn’t believe that Ryouta was taking this seriously. "Well, I don't think it's bothered much by you sitting on it but... Anyway, here. Come on."

A hand was suddenly held out to him and without hesitation, Ryouta found himself taking it.

And his skin buzzed with sudden, electric awareness. The hand was dry, warm, not unpleasant but there was more to this hand, this guy, and Ryouta knew it to the very core of him that got exasperated at his sisters' natural, effortless use of their abilities and recoiled from the stream of power that flowed through his very veins. This person saw ghosts as he held Ryouta's hand like it was nothing, like nothing but skin and muscle and bone stopped them from actually touching and possibly combusting--

"--shouldn't look at it. Just sit here with me. Don't worry about it."

It was that voice that brought him back, made him focus on the present though he was still holding on to that hand. He was sitting beside the stranger, so close that their shoulders touched. They weren't looking at the ghost and that was probably for the best. Ryouta may not be able to see it but the man beside him certainly could and it looked like he preferred not to have to engage with it at all.

Their linked hands sat between them and Ryouta focused on that connection until they came to his stop.

They exited the train together and stepping out onto the platform made him feel a bit lighter as if being able to move about freed him from something. By then, he had forgotten that they were still holding hands until his companion let go.

"Sorry," the guy said, looking flustered, and it was then that Ryouta noticed that he was handsome. Not in the typical, perfectly chiseled sort of way but it could be seen in the well-formed angles of his face and the deep blue of his eyes.

And his hand had been warm and he had felt safe, tucked into his side.

"It's all right," Ryouta assured him with a smile that he beamed up at him because he was a bit taller than he was. "Thank you. For protecting me from the ghost."

"It couldn't really do anything to you, but," he insisted. "It must've been uncomfortable. If you had felt it."

He was tall and strong and adorably awkward. Ryouta was charmed and his curiosity peaked.

His adorable psychic cleared his throat and seemed to be having a hard time looking at him. "You've probably got somewhere to be, so."

Ryouta nodded. "Yeah."

"I'll see you, then." He winced. "I mean!"

Ryouta tried hard not to laugh because he was obviously embarrassed and he didn't want to make it worse for him. Before he could say anything--ask for a name, ask him out for a date--the guy had taken his hand again.

"Just. Keep this with you, all right?"

He had pressed a cat into his hand. It was made of jade and looked perfectly content and comfortable in its carved out pose of napping on its side. A sturdy, deep blue string was attached to its curved back and it would make a perfect charm for his phone.

And when Ryouta looked up, he was gone.

The charm, because that was what it was, was warm in his hand and he knew that warmth wouldn't fade no matter how long he kept it with him. He definitely planned to keep it.

Humming softly, Ryouta wound the charm into his phone so it hung down one side of it and started walking toward the exit of the train station. He didn't keep his phone and fiddled with it even as he walked, only looking up to smooth his hand and fingertips over the turnstile as he made his exit. The bars gave way for him without any resistance. He walked out into the night, enjoying the cool breeze and the faint sweet scent of spring, and stopped for a bit as he came to a crossroad. Ryouta looked from one direction to another before turning his gaze down to his phone again.

"All right. Let's find you, shall we?" he murmured as he tapped on an app and watched it load, his eyes taking on a gleaming, golden light.


End file.
